Chapter 120: On the Warship (Part-19)

Everyone turned in confusion toward the source of the voice, only to see a young face standing calmly among them. His expression was steady, his eyes clear, carrying an almost unreasonable confidence.

“Li Wei?” Wang Zongyao stared at him, disbelief flashing across his face. “What do you mean we don’t have to escape? Are you trying to get yourself killed?”

“No.” Ryan shook his head, his tone calm but firm. “I’m not trying to die. I want everyone to live.”

He looked around at the crowd and then at Elder Lu, his voice rising with conviction. “I said we don’t need to retreat because I’m willing to fight together with Elder Lu against that Lord rank expert. As long as Elder Lu and I join forces, we can defeat him.”

His words were resolute, his posture straight, as if he were stating an unquestionable fact.

For a brief moment, silence fell.

Then shock rippled through the group.

Wang Zongyao stared at Ryan as if trying to confirm whether he had heard correctly. The other Western Mansion examiners, and even Elder Lu himself, looked at Ryan with expressions that hovered between disbelief and disbelief bordering on madness.

From Ryan’s earlier performance, they had already concluded that he was an Upper Exalt. A terrifyingly young Upper Exalt, yes, but still an Upper Exalt.

Yet now, this Upper Exalt was saying he wanted to challenge a Lord rank expert head-on?

In their eyes, this was no longer courage. It was arrogance. Reckless arrogance.

An Upper Exalt joining a Lord rank expert’s battle was not support. It was suicide. At best, it would only distract Elder Lu and hasten everyone’s death.

Wang Zongyao was the first to recover. He stepped forward, his tone heavy and earnest. “Li Wei, don’t joke at a time like this. Do you know how powerful a Lord rank expert truly is? All of us combined, except Elder Lu, couldn’t last a breath against him.”

“This isn’t the time to be willful,” he continued. “Elder Lu has barely recovered some fighting strength. If he holds the enemy back, we might buy enough time for reinforcements to arrive. That’s our only chance to survive.”

Tang Wuying nodded in agreement. “Brother Wang is right. Li Wei, don’t be impulsive. As long as the green hills remain, there will be firewood to burn. Elder Lu is prepared to sacrifice himself for us. If you stay behind, you’ll only waste his efforts.”

Another examiner added bluntly, “Little brother, I admit you’re powerful, maybe stronger than any of us here. But a Lord rank expert isn’t someone you can interfere with. Staying will only add to Elder Lu’s burden.”

Even Elder Lu spoke up, his voice low but sincere. “Young Li Wei, thank you for saving my life, and thank you for your willingness to stand with us. But you must leave. If you stay, you won’t help me. You’ll only make things harder.”

He paused, then added gently, “I won’t die easily. I’ll stall him, give you time to escape. Once you’re gone, I’ll withdraw as well. I won’t throw my life away.”

Seeing that no one believed him, not even Wang Zongyao, Ryan frowned. A trace of displeasure flashed across his face.

“You don’t believe me?” he asked quietly. “Uncle Wang, even you don’t believe me?”

After a brief silence, Ryan straightened his back, his eyes sharpening. “Fine. Since words aren’t enough, then I’ll prove it to you.”

Before anyone could react, his figure shot upward like an arrow released from a bow, tearing through the air as he flew straight toward the incoming enemies.

“Wait!” someone shouted.

“Stop him!”

But it was already too late.

Ryan’s speed was terrifying. By the time the crowd realized what he had done, he was already far away, a streak of light rushing toward the Lord rank expert and the swarm of Upper Exalts behind him.

Even Elder Lu was caught off guard. He had not expected Ryan to be this fast. Until now, he had never truly witnessed Ryan in action and had assumed that his flight earlier relied on some special artifact.

Only at this moment did Elder Lu realize the truth.

This was not an item.

This was pure strength.

A genuine Upper Exalt.

Elder Lu’s eyes narrowed slightly as a thought crossed his mind. Wang Zongyao’s earlier words echoed in his head. Perhaps this year’s candidates really did include an unexpected surprise.

Ryan… was he that surprise?

Such speed, such talent. If he survived and entered Western Mansion, it would be an immense blessing.

Yet talent alone was not enough to face a Lord rank expert.

Elder Lu let out a slow breath and shook his head. “Still too young.”

There was no time to hesitate. Turning to the other examiners, he issued orders decisively. “Proceed with the evacuation immediately. Li Wei and the Lord rank expert will be handled by me.”

To Elder Lu, Ryan was no longer just a candidate. He was a strategic treasure of Western Mansion. No matter what, he could not be allowed to die here.

On the other side of the battlefield, Ryan had already reached the enemy formation.

Ahead of him stood the golden-masked Lord rank expert, surrounded by more than twenty Upper Exalts of varying strength. Their combined presence pressed down like a mountain, suffocating and overwhelming, darkening the sky itself.

Facing such a terrifying force, Ryan showed no fear.

Instead, his lips curved into a confident smile.

Gripping the Remnant Shadow Sword, he declared loudly, “Since no one believes me, then I’ll prove it today. I’ll show you whether Li Wei truly has the strength!”

As his voice fell, his aura exploded outward, power surging from every inch of his body, shaking the air around him.

Elder Lu chased after Ryan from behind, his voice sharp with urgency as he tried to stop him from doing something that looked like sheer madness.

From Elder Lu’s perspective, a Lord rank expert was already an existence that could crush everything below, and now Ryan was charging straight into a formation that included not only that golden-masked Lord rank expert, but also more than twenty Upper Exalts flying alongside him. Facing such a force head-on was no different from throwing one’s life away.

Ryan, however, acted as if he had not heard a single word.

His expression remained calm, his breathing steady, as he adjusted his state to its peak.

Gripping the Remnant Shadow Sword tightly, he accelerated forward, his figure cutting through the air like a streak of light.

Seeing this, Elder Lu grew anxious, his heart sinking as he realized Ryan had no intention of retreating.

On the opposite side, the golden-masked Lord rank expert noticed Ryan charging toward them. He froze briefly, then the corner of his mouth curled into a mocking smile.

In his eyes, this young Upper Exalt was nothing more than an impulsive fool rushing toward his own death. There was no need to pay him any attention.

The Upper Exalts surrounding the golden-masked figure shared the same thought. They were wary of Ryan’s strength, but with the Lord rank expert present and leading the charge, what threat could a single Upper Exalt pose? In their minds, Ryan’s fate was already sealed.

What they did not realize was that this moment of contempt would cost them their lives.

“Kill!”

Ryan leapt into the air when he was still more than ten meters away from the enemy formation, raising the Remnant Shadow Sword high above his head. The terrifying aura that gathered around him made the surrounding space tremble.

This was the Mountain Splitting.

Ryan enveloped everything within ten meters ahead of him, then brought the sword down with all his might. He was no longer holding back. He wanted to prove, beyond any doubt, that he truly possessed this level of strength.

A deafening explosion followed the impact.

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